Identity card timetable announced

A timetable for introducing national identity cards has been revealed by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith.The controversial ID scheme will see everyone's personal details stored on a plastic card with a microchip and will cost £5.6 billion over ten years.Copies of everyone's "biometrics" will be stored on three Government computer systems, supposedly making the scheme fraud-proof because individual cards can be cross-checked against the central database.The Home Office has refused to comment on reports that the Government will "dilute" the scheme by allowing people the option of some other form of identity - such as a passport or driving licence - as long as their details were stored on the national database.The ID project has already been damaged by a series of scandals over the way Government departments have lost personal information, including the list of 25 million child benefit claimants mislaid by HM Revenue and Customs at the end of last year.Ms Smith published plans on the next steps at a speech at leading think-tank Demos in central London.It includes how the Home Office will begin the roll-out for foreigners who come from countries where there is the most widespread abuse of the immigration system.The Tories have claimed the Government will announce that up to 100,000 British airport staff will be required to apply for compulsory national ID cards.The Conservatives said any such move would breach former home secretary Charles Clarke's promise not to make ID cards compulsory without a vote by MPs.Home Office documents leaked in February showed national roll-out of the ID cards had been postponed to 2012, and said workers in sensitive locations such as airports would be required to apply for the documents sooner.This week the Tories claimed this would involve "airside" workers, such as airline staff, baggage handlers and workers in duty-free shops, bars and cafes.© Independent Television News Limited 2008. All rights reserved.

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ITN | March 6, 2008

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